2005 Arizona Motorcycle Expo Photos

January 17, 2006

Our cruiser correspondent reports on the Arizona Motorcycle Expo in sunny Phoenix, a showcase for the best of custom builders in the Southwest. Check out the full report in 2005 Arizona Motorcycle Expo.

Months in the making, this fine machine from Steed Motorcycles is ready for the ’06 show circuit. It made its debut at the Arizona Expo.

Many builders will harp on about 'clean design' and how important it is. This Rigid Springer parked by the Bad Boy Designs booth somehow defies that paradigm and yet makes an impression regardless.

Iron Eagle Motorcycles is another Microbuilder that churns out both production machines, as well as custom creations like this very extreme chopper.

Rockem and Sockem motorcycles is a Mesa, Arizona company that displayed quite a few diverse styles in the bike show, including this Shovelhead-engined bobber.

This US Choppers bobber features a late model Indian motor (from the last incarnation of the venerable brand) coupled with a replica leaf spring Girder front end from circa 1920’s Indians.

It’s ironic to me that every bike I’ve seen out of US Choppers is what most would refer to as a bobber. Perhaps they are so old school that they’re referring to the original use of the term chopper, meaning a bike that all the unnecessary parts have been removed from.

This Spartan Frameworks Knucklehead was another bike making its debut at the Expo. The trick-looking springer is handmade by Spartan in their Tucson shop.

Wicked Bros is a exhaust manufacturer who also makes some of the trickest-looking bikes on the planet. The jockey shifter has the clutch lever mounted right to it, and the strip of snakeskin up the tank is capped by an actual snake’s head, encased in glass.

One of the rips on H-D’s Sportster is that unlike most of the rest of Harley’s bikes, you ride on it rather than in it. Wicked Bros offers this solution. Yes, this single-sided swingarmed, purple beauty is actually a Sportster at heart, (or a Buell, you can never be sure).

Schoolyard Bully is another of Wicked Bros stunning bikes. With brass knuckle pegs, old-school upholstery on the seat, and brutal good looks, it can kick my ass any day.

Paul Yaffe seems to have a thing for HD’s Twin Cam motor, as most of his projects are powered by them. What looks to be an exhaust system that feed son itself is actually pipes that are routed to the left side of the bike. The burnished finish on all of the clear-coated metal makes for a unique look

Paul Yaffe was one of the show’s draws. This photo was taken about three hours into the show, by the end of the show it was a completed custom.

Bay Area builder Ron Simms brought his rig down to Phoenix for the Expo along with a flotilla of his latest customs. This one features some of Simms’ trademarks like skulls, guns and tribal designs, but also features a very psychedelic hippie-esque color scheme.

While there weren’t a ton of bikes in the parking lot (most Arizonans preferring to take a truck in the 60ish degree December weather), the bikes that were here would put some bike shows to shame. Arizonans love their custom iron.

This Jim Nasi Afterlife-framed custom was not on display in some vendor booth, it was just parked in the lot.

Sucker Punch Sally’s brought this cute little bobber all the way out from Ohio.

Insane Custom Cycles entered this cool rigid in the bike show. Insane is a new company founded by Johnny Goodson, formerly of Exile Cycles fame.

We’re not sure if the 6-year-old appreciates the craftsmanship that went into this Rockem and Sockem chopper, but he knows what he likes.

Santa Claus took a brake from his busy schedule to stop by the Expo and take orders for the coming holiday season. 'so Alex, you’d like a 36 Knuck Bobber… okay, and Jose, you’d settle for Deuce?'

Paul Yaffe seems to have a thing for HD’s Twin Cam motor, as most of his projects are powered by them. What looks to be an exhaust system that feeds on itself is actually pipes that are routed to the left side of the bike. The burnished finish on all of the clear-coated metal makes for a unique look